aubaine

windfall; godsend

noun oh-BEN Rare

Origin: Old French aubain 'foreign serf', later shifting to unexpected good fortune.

Usage Note

Aubaine always carries a positive sense — an unexpected stroke of luck or a bargain. C'est une aubaine! is a common exclamation meaning 'What a stroke of luck!' or 'What a bargain!' Unlike English 'windfall', it is equally at home in formal writing and everyday speech.

Examples

"Cette promotion est une vraie aubaine pour nous."

Natural Translation

This promotion is a real windfall for us.

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